It’s midnight, you’re working on a project for work or school and while you are changing your printer cartridge it spills. It’s all over you. You’re filled with panic! What are you going to do? If you have ever had to change a toner or ink cartridge, chances are you have had the misfortune of getting toner or ink on your hands. Well don’t panic. This post will share some easy remedies for you with items that should be readily accessible to you at your office or home. December 3, 2014 UPDATE! We found a product that easily takes inkjet ink off your hands with little effort and is not harmful to your skin. It’s listed as NUMBER 1.

Tea Tree Oil – while you may not have this in your home or office, this all natural product works wonders. Put a few drops on a clean dry cloth and scrub on the affected area. If it doesn’t remove all the ink immediately, you may need to repeat or use a fingernail brush to scrub the crevices of your skin. Repeat until all the ink has been removed. I have tested this with Epson brand inkjet ink and it worked like a charm on ink that had dried on my hands. Tea Tree Oil has many uses (including removing Sharpie brand permanent marker from your skin and other surfaces). It does have a strong distinctive odor, so you may want to use in a well ventilated area. Not because it will harm you, but because you may not like the way it smells.

Rubbing alcohol. Almost every home has some lying around somewhere. Be sure to use lotion when you get all the toner or ink off because it will dry out your skin.

Glass Cleaner. Any home or office should have a bottle of window cleaner available. Don’t let the ink dry. The key is to spray it on as soon as possible to the affected area then wipe with a paper towel BEFORE the ink dries.

Spray hairspray on the affected areas, let it sit while it dissolves the toner or ink; then wash it off.

Nail polish remover – be careful with this one if you are removing toner or ink from anything other than your skin as it will remove the finish from furniture, etc… Also – USE IN WELL VENTILATED AREA.

While this remedy may be hard on your skin, it will work. Soft Scrub with bleach with cool water. Rub the granulated paste over the affected area and repeat. Be sure to use lotion when you get all the toner or ink off because it will dry out your skin.

Bleach. Mix 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Rub with cloth until the stain is gone. Wash thoroughly with soap and water when you’re done. To remove the bleach smell you can squeeze a lemon or an orange. Please note bleach is a caustic substance and should be used with caution.

If you don’t mind going out, get a product called GoJo. This is a hand cleaner used primarily for grease, but has also been noted as being a good product for ink and can be found at a home repair store.

Goop hand cleaner is another great product that will remove some toners or inks. This can be found at a home discount store.

If one of these remedies worked for you, let us know. We’d like to hear your story. If you have a remedy we didn’t post, let us know about that too!